Semiconductor devices are currently in widespread use in a variety of electronic components. Semiconductor devices may be used for a variety of reasons, such as to retain information, as in a non-volatile memory device, or to perform a calculation, such as in a microprocessor or in a digital signal processor.
Semiconductor devices consume a certain amount of power to perform their tasks. Typically, the amount of power they consume is regulated by the internal or external voltage at which they operate. An external voltage is supplied to a semiconductor device for operation. The semiconductor device includes internal circuitry which receives the external voltage at an external input. The external voltage is then regulated by the internal circuitry to a suitable level for the semiconductor device to operate. The regulated voltage, or internal voltage, is then supplied to the semiconductor device. Often, the internal voltage supplied to a semiconductor device varies considerably depending on a number of factors, such as the manufacturing process for the die, the fabrication lot for the die, the operating conditions of the device, and the environmental conditions of the device. In order to compensate for these variations, semiconductor devices are manufactured with fuses which can be trimmed and set to a specific value in order to supply the semiconductor device with a set voltage.
The specific value that the fuses are to be trimmed to is determined by statistical analysis of the manufactured semiconductor devices across different process corners. These statistical data are then collected and a trim value is determined either based on averages or based on whichever value will give the best trade off. Once the fuses are trimmed, the trim setting cannot be changed. As a result, a trimmed device will not be able to compensate for further changes in operating conditions or environmental conditions by changing the trim value for the regulator. The voltage generated by the trimmed voltage regulator is therefore no longer optimized for new conditions. This may result in sub-optimal operations in some environments, limiting the range of conditions that a device could be used or sold, or limiting the possible scope of application for the device. As a result, the semiconductor device may receive a varying or unstable amount of voltage due to changing conditions. Thus, there is a need for a device or method which be used to supply a stable and consistent voltage to a semiconductor device even under changing conditions.